Mechanism of the Reaction of OH with Alkynes in the Presence of Oxygen

Theoretical Study on the Mechanisms and Kinetics of Atmospheric Oxidation of Tetrafluoropropyne and Its Analogues

Tetrafluoropropyne (C3F4) is a potential dielectric in various electrical insulating equipment to replace the most potent industrial greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride. Atmospheric oxidation of C3F4 by OH radicals in the presence of molecular O2 has been investigated theoretically in order to clarify the lifetime and degradation products at mechanistic and kinetic aspects. Energetic minimum-energy pathways for the C3F4 + OH/O2 reactions were calculated in detail using various theoretical methods including density functional M06-2X and CCSD for geometries, CBS-QB3, CCSD(T), and multireference RS2 with extrapolation to the complete basis-set limit for energies. It has been demonstrated that the C3F4 + OH reaction takes place via the bifurcated C-O addition/elimination routes leading to CF3C(OH)═CF and CF3C═C(OH)F radical adducts, where the latter is more preferable in view of the difference in barrier heights (1.3 vs 0.3 kcal/mol), followed by H-migration, HF-elimination, and C-C and C-F bond fission. The atmospheric lifetime of C3F4 was estimated to be about 13 days, which is indicative of a very short-lived substance in the atmosphere. Further degradation of the energy-rich C3F4OH* intermediates by O2 takes place spontaneously in view of the successive barrier-free and highly exothermic pathways, producing a variety of fluorinated acids, anhydrides, biacetyls, and regenerating OH radicals. For comparison, the reactions of C3H4, CF3CCH, and CH3CCF with OH radicals were examined to clarify the F-substitution effect. It is revealed that the reactivity of fluoropropynes could be either reduced by CF3 or enhanced by atomic F attached to the acetylenic carbon. The present work provides a fundamental understanding of the reactions of fluoroalkynes with OH/O2. The use of C3F4 as a promising eco-friendly gaseous dielectric alternative to SF6 has been supported.

Investigating the Association Reactions of HOCH2CO and HOCHCHO with O2: A Quantum Computational and Master Equation Study

Glycolaldehyde, HOCH₂CHO, is an important multifunctional atmospheric trace gas formed in the oxidation of ethylene and isoprene and emitted directly from burning biomass. The initial step in the atmospheric photooxidation of HOCH₂CHO yields HOCH₂CO and HOCHCHO radicals; both of these radicals react rapidly with O₂ in the troposphere. This study presents a comprehensive theoretical investigation of the HOCH₂CO + O₂ and HOCHCHO + O₂ reactions using high-level quantum chemical calculations and energy-grained master equation simulations. The HOCH₂CO + O₂ reaction results in the formation of a HOCH₂C(O)O₂ radical, while the HOCHCHO + O₂ reaction yields (HCO)₂ + HO₂. Density functional theory calculations have identified two open unimolecular pathways associated with the HOCH₂C(O)O₂ radical that yield HCOCOOH + OH or HCHO + CO₂ + OH products; the former novel bimolecular product pathway has not been previously reported in the literature. Master equation simulations based on the potential energy surface calculated here for the HOCH₂CO + O₂ recombination reaction support experimental product yield data from the literature and indicate that, even at total pressures of 1 atm, the HOCH₂CO + O₂ reaction yields ∼11% OH at 298 K.

Theoretical Investigations on the Hydroxyl-Initialized Oxidation of Hexafluoro-2-butyne in the Presence of Oxygen

Hexafluoro-2-butyne (C₄F₆) is a potential eco-friendly alternative gas in plasma, refrigerants, and electrical insulation applications. Mechanisms for the reactions of C₄F₆ with OH/O₂ have been revealed in detail using various theoretical methods including ROCBS-Q, RCCSD(T), multireference RS2C, and extrapolations to the complete basis-set limit with Aug-cc-pVnZ (n = T, Q, 5) basis sets. Rate coefficients and product branching ratios were predicted for a wide range of temperatures and pressures using the solution of master equations. The vibrationally adiabatic ground-state barrier for the initial C₄F₆ + OH association was best estimated to be 1.53-2.26 kcal/mol. Energetically preferable decomposition paths for the conformation-dependent C₄F₆OH adducts include six-center HF elimination, four-center proton migration, and C-C bond cleavage, but the collisional deactivation is dominant under ambient conditions. The subsequent oxidation of C₄F₆OH by O₂ bifurcates in two orientations and proceeds without any well-defined barrier followed by the successive isomerization/elimination steps, forming perfluorobiacetyl to regenerate OH radicals or trifluoroacetic acid with trifluoroacetyl radicals. The OH-recycling path accounts for a branching ratio of 70% under ambient conditions. Theoretical rate coefficients are in good agreement with the available experimental results. The effect of fluorination on the reactivity of alkynes toward OH/O₂ is discussed.

Atmospheric persistence and toxicity evolution for fluorinated biphenylethyne liquid crystal monomers unveiled by in silico methods

It is essential to understand the atmospheric fate of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), an important component in liquid crystal displays (LCDs); however, limited information is available at present. In this study, the atmospheric reaction mechanism, kinetics and toxicity evolution of three fluorinated biphenylethyne LCMs (1,2,3-trifluoro-5-(2-(4-methylphenyl)ethynyl)benzene (m-TEB), 1,2,3-trifluoro-5-(2-(4-ethylphenyl)ethynyl)benzene (e-TEB), 1,2,3-trifluoro-5-(2-(4-propylphenyl)ethynyl)benzene (p-TEB)) are investigated by theoretical calculations. Results show that the initial reactions of·OH addition to -C ≡ C- groups and hydrogen abstraction from alkyl groups (-CH₃, -C₂H₅, -C₃H₇) are dominant pathways. The resulting transformation products (TPs) for m-TEB are mainly highly oxidized multi-functional compounds such as benzil-based compounds, benzoic acid, alcohols, aldehydes, diketone and epoxy compounds. Results also show that some TPs exhibit higher aquatic toxicity than the parent. The calculated rate constants of m-TEB, e-TEB and p-TEB with·OH at 298 K are in the ranges of (1.3 -8.6) × 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, and the corresponding atmospheric half-lives are 3.8-9.3, 2.2-5.4 and 0.6-1.4 days, respectively. This evidences that m-TEB and e-TEB may have atmospheric persistence and could undergo long-range transport. The results herein could be helpful for clarifying the atmospheric fates, persistence and risks of fluorinated LCMs with ethynyl benzene center.

Atmospheric insight into the reaction mechanism and kinetics of isopropenyl methyl ether (i-PME) initiated by OH radicals and subsequent oxidation of product radicals

Studies on primary gas-phase reactions of emitted saturated and unsaturated ethers with oxidants and subsequent secondary reactions of product radicals with O₂ in the presence of NO are important in their atmospheric chemical processes. To accomplish these findings, we have examined the chemistry of OH-initiated oxidation of isopropenyl methyl ether (i-PME) CH₃C(CH₂)OCH₃ by electronic structure ca using density functional theory. Our energetic calculations show that OH additions to carbon-carbon double bonds of i-PME are more favorable reaction pathways than H-abstraction reactions from the various CH sites of the titled molecule. The rate constant values which are obtained from the transition state theory also signify that OH-addition reactions have faster reaction rates than H-abstraction reactions. Our calculated total rate constant of the reaction is found 9.90 × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1. The percentage branching ratio calculations imply that OH-addition reactions have 98.09% contribution in the total rate constant. The atmospheric lifetime of i-PME is found to be 2.8 h. Further, we have identified 2-hydroxy-2-methoxypropanol, methyl acetate, methy-1,2-hydroxyacetate and 1-hydroxypropane-2-one, 1,2-dihydroxypropan-2-yl format, 2-hydroxyacetic acid, acetic acid, and formaldehyde from the secondary oxidation of product radicals.

Quantification of Bioorthogonal Stability in Immune Phagocytes Using Flow Cytometry Reveals Rapid Degradation of Strained Alkynes

One of the areas in which bioorthogonal chemistry—chemistry performed inside a cell or organism—has become of pivotal importance is in the study of host–pathogen interactions. The incorporation of bioorthogonal groups into the cell wall or proteome of intracellular pathogens has allowed study within the endolysosomal system. However, for the approach to be successful, the incorporated bioorthogonal groups must be stable to chemical conditions found within these organelles, which are some of the harshest found in metazoans: the groups are exposed to oxidizing species, acidic conditions, and reactive thiols. Here we present an assay that allows the assessment of the stability of bioorthogonal groups within host cell phagosomes. Using a flow cytometry-based assay, we have quantified the relative label stability inside dendritic cell phagosomes of strained and unstrained alkynes. We show that groups that were shown to be stable in other systems were degraded by as much as 79% after maturation of the phagosome.

Role of Aerosol Liquid Water in Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Volatile Organic Compounds

A key mechanism for atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation occurs when oxidation products of volatile organic compounds condense onto pre-existing particles. Here, we examine effects of aerosol liquid water (ALW) on relative SOA yield and composition from α-pinene ozonolysis and the photooxidation of toluene and acetylene by OH. Reactions were conducted in a room-temperature flow tube under low-NO_x conditions in the presence of equivalent loadings of deliquesced (∼20 μg m^-3 ALW) or effloresced (∼0.2 μg m^-3 ALW) ammonium sulfate seeds at exactly the same relative humidity (RH = 70%) and state of wall conditioning. We found 13% and 19% enhancements in relative SOA yield for the α-pinene and toluene systems, respectively, when seeds were deliquesced rather than effloresced. The relative yield doubled in the acetylene system, and this enhancement was partially reversible upon drying the prepared SOA, which reduced the yield by 40% within a time scale of seconds. We attribute the high relative yield of acetylene SOA on deliquesced seeds to aqueous partitioning and particle-phase reactions of the photooxidation product glyoxal. The observed range of relative yields for α-pinene, toluene, and acetylene SOA on deliquesced and effloresced seeds suggests that ALW plays a complicated, system-dependent role in SOA formation.

The Stability of α-Hydroperoxyalkyl Radicals

High-level ab initio and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamic calculations have been carried out on a series of hydroperoxyalkyl (α-QOOH) radicals with the aim of investigating the stability and unimolecular decomposition mechanism into QO+OH of these species. Dissociation was shown to take place through rotation of the C-O(OH) bond rather than through elongation of the CO-OH bond. Through the C-O(OH) rotation, the unpaired electron of the radical overlaps with the electron density on the O-OH bond, and from this overlap the C=O π bond forms and the O-OH bond breaks spontaneously. The CH₂ OOH, CH(CH₃ )OOH, CH(OH)OOH, and α-hydroperoxycycloheptadienyl radical were found to decompose spontaneously, but the CH(CHO)OOH has a decomposition energy barrier of 5.95 kcal mol^-1 owing to its steric and electronic features. The systems studied in this work provide the first insights into how structural and electronic effects govern the stabilizing influence on elusive α-QOOH radicals.

A combined experimental and theoretical study of reactions between the hydroxyl radical and oxygenated hydrocarbons relevant to astrochemical environments

Rate coefficients for the reactions of the hydroxyl radical with acetone and dimethyl ether increase dramatically at very low temperatures.